La Vuelta: Stage 2 Along the motorway to Cadiz

August 25, 2014

The course was not exactly riveting as the peloton rode along the coast. A typical break with the usual suspects was caught a very predictable distance from the finish. The wind was feared but was not strong enough to result in the bunch splitting, even when they were crossing the high bridges approaching Cadiz. The teams with top contenders were working hard on the front for the last 10km and it was only in the last 1km that the sprint teams took the front. Then the best sprinter Bouhanni took the win by over a bike length, ahead of the second best.

Did anything else happen? Not much. Valverde takes the leader’s jersey is unlikely to have to fill it with water bottles like Castroviejo did today. Betancur and Pinot lost more than a minute so it looks like they can be discounted from the GC contest already. Sagan did not contest the sprint which raises questions over his form and ambitions for the red jersery. Tomorrow’s hillier stage will tell us more.